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N OFFERING this 
booklet, Texas Farm 
Opportunities, the Ag- 
ricultural section of the 
United States Railroad 
Administration does so 
with the idea that it will he a source of 
reliable information for the home- 
seeker. 

It is compiled by practical and 
scientific agriculturists and has the en- 
dorsement of prominent and progressive 
citizens of the state. 

The vastness of Texas and rapid de- 
velopment of its agricultural resources; 
the differences of soil, climate, rainfall, 
topography, and the need for up-to-date 
literature make this publication timely. 






TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



Governor's Office, 

Austin, Texas, January 22d, 1919. 
Texas Railway Agricultural Committee, 
Dallas, Texas. 

Gentlemen: 

The publicaition by the Railroad Agricultural Committee of a booklet for Texas, advertising 
the advantages and opportunities of this State, has my hearty endorsement and approval. 

I feel that this is a worth-while undertaking and should result in the enlightenment of outside 
persons interested in the various industries of the respective States. 

Not only that, but coming with the reconstruction of our nation from a war to a peace 
basis, i't could be made a medium to aid our returning heroes in determining upon a future home 
and occupation. 

Cordially yours, 

(Signed) W. P. HOBBY, 

Governor of Texas. 



Deparcment of Agriculture, 
State of Texas, 

Austin. 1/22/19. 
The Texas Railway Agricultural Committee, 
Dallas, T^xas. 

Gentlemen: 

We have been advised by your chairman that your committee anticipated t*he compilation, 
printing and distribution of a folder in which would be set forth the agricultural advantages and 
opportunities afforded by the various sections of Texas. 

As Commissioner of Agriculture, I wish to give my endorsement to such a worthy under- 
taking by your association. 

Texas has in it, vast areas of undeveloped agricultural land; it also has larger areas in which 
increased production could be had if the number engaged in agriculture could be increased by 
inducing successful farmers from other portions of the United States to settle in Texas. Es- 
pecially would I consider such publication timely just now, in view of the fact that so many 
of our noble boys who have been wearing the khaki will soon return to their native countrv. 
and will no doubt enter into productive lines with as much determination ?.s they have so well 
demonstrated in fheir successful drive against German autocracy. Their victories in war 
will make the world better for all its people. Their victory to be gained on behalf of hu- 
manity in productive lines will be equally as far reaching in its field of service. 

Yours respectfully, 
j4 (Signed) FRED W. DAV'IS, 

FWD-c Commissioner of Agriculture. 



Co-operative Extension Work 

in 

Agriculture and Home Economics, 

State of Texas. 

College Station, January 31, 1919. 
Texas Railway Agricultural Committee, 
Dallas, Texas. 

Gentlemen: 

I heartily endorse your plans to place 'before the people of other States the agricultural possi- 
bilities of Texas, as our undeveloped agricultural lands are sufficient to accommodate a large 
additional number of successful farmers. Texas lands are cheap as compared with lands m 
other sections when their producing capacities are considered, so a booklet setting forth facts 
with reference to these possibilities should be of service to the prospective home-seeker m giv- 
ing him information as to our undeveloped resources. 






2» '" 



Yours very truly, 
(Signed) T. O. WALTON, 

Actine Director. 



Page Two 



TEXAS FARM O PPORTUNltlES 



:: 3utro6uctorY ♦♦ 



TEXAS 

Texas is so large that it may properly be called the Empire State ; not only as 
to domain, with its two hundred and sixty-five thousand seven hundred squares miles, 
but because it involves a wide variation in elevation, temperature, rainfall and soil, and 
therefore has a wide adaptability to crops. It is the Empire State in its ability to sup- 
ply its inhabitants with the common necessities of life, both as to riament and food. 

Texas contains 252 counties. It has a coast line of approximately 400 miles. The 
area of Texas is 8.7 per cent of the total area of the United States. 

Texas is 765 miles from east to west and 805 miles from north to south. 

Texas has made unbounded progress in the building of good roads in the past 
decade. The State Highway Department of Texas is perhaps the equal of any highway 
and registration department in the United States. 

Texas has approximately 20,000 miles of good roads over which agricultural prod- 
ucts may be hauled at any time of the year. Texas has many thousand miles of 
proposed highways which will be constructed as rapidly as possible. 

Texas is crossed and recrossed by a network of railroads reaching all the larger 
markets. 

Texas is the newest oil center of the United States. Geologists say that a large 
oil pool underlies a great part of Texas, which has in part been proven. 

VARIETY OF CLIMATES. 

Texas has broad, level prairies; high, elevated plateaus. 3,000 to 5,000 feet above 
sea level, and fertile valleys. The average elevation of Texas is 850 feet. The soil 
varies in richness and fertility from black waxy, black sandy, gray sandy, red sandy, 
sandy loam to alluvial soils. 

Texas has a variety of climates. A great portion is swept by the Gulf breezes, 
making the long summers endurable and enjoyable. The winters usually are mild and 
delightful. The crop season of Northern Texas averages eight months and of South 
Texas ten months a year. 

Rainfall differs in sections to the same extent as climates. Extreme West Texas 
averages from 10 to 15 inches rainfall, and East Texas 35 to 50 inches a year. 

TEXAS WANTS FARMERS. 

Texas wants farmers, energetic and intelligent farmers, to come and farm her 
fertile acres. 

Texas is the only State in the Union with room enough for a population great 
enough to consume its total production of food, fabrics and building materials ; the only 
area in the world in which the native resources of fuel, iron, water, stone and lumber 
are sufficient to enable its maximum population to exist and flourish without drawing 
upon the products of any outside State or Nation. 

Texas is at the threshold of its greatest prosperity. The development made in 
the past decade is but a token of that to come. 

GRAIN, COTTON, WOOL. 

Wheat, corn, oats, barley, milo, kafir, feterita, known as grain sorghums ; and the 
saccharine sorghums for silage, are the chief grain and forage crops of Texas. Sugar, 

Page Three 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



from sugar cane, is now produced in the State, and the producliiMi of this crop is capable 
of still further expansion. The various vegetables and fruits capable of growing in 
a north temperate climate or in a subtropical zone are produced extensively in the 
State. 

Cotton, wool and mohair are important industries and to a less extent fibers 
capable of being manufactured into clothing. Silk is also produced. The average 
annual value of Texas farm crops for the last nine years, ending 1918, was $500,800,000. 

From the sea level there is a gradual elevation for 100 miles inland, known as the 
Coastal Plain. Then there occurs a succession of hills, plateaus and prairies, until an 
elevation of more than four thousand feet is attained in the Panhandle, while in the 
Western part of the State several mountain ranges occur, with individual peaks, reach- 
ing from 3,000 to 9,600 feet in height. 

The country west of the 98th meridian is given largely to grazing and live stock 
industry; sheep, goats, cattle and horses. Land in this region is also cultivated by 
irrigation. Productive lands are located in the Panhandle and South Plains country. 
The country east of the 98th meridian in general terms is a safe agricultural country. 

SWINE PRODUCTION IN TEXAS. 

Texas will be continually in need of more and better hogs. At the present time 
there is a shortage in the State amounting to nearly twenty-five per cent. The eastern 
one-half of the State is as well suited for the production of pork as any section in the 
United States. Feed crops can be easily grown, and no more profitable method of 
marketing the surplus crops can be had than marketing them in the form of hogs. 
Increased pork production is not only a patriotic duty, but at the same time one can 
secure larger returns on the sale of farm products and increase the productive value 
of the farm and soil. Improved hogs and good farming go hand in hand. An ideal 
system of farming is not complete without a proper system of pork production. 

Hogs are the most prolific of all domestic animals, producing, when properly cared 
for, a thousand per cent per annum on the number of breeding sows in the herd. 
This means quick financial returns, since hogs make rapid gains, and with the improved . 
breeds they can be marketed at from seven to eight months of age. In this respect I 
hogs have a decided advantage over all other classes of live stock, because money 
invested in hogs soon begins to bring in large returns. They not only increase soil 
fertility and convert waste into profit, but wherever farmers have large bank deposits 
there also are found modern systems of pork production. There is no type of farming 
to which swine production cannot be adapted. Hogs are easiest to produce and handle 
of all meat animals, and will make the most rapid progress toward solving the world 
meat problem. 

To make a success of swine production one should consult freely with the experi- 
ment stations, agricultural colleges and railroad agricultural agent in the State and 
in feeding one must give attention to the proper preparation of rations and grow- 
ing of grazing crops, and especially to the feed supply. In problems of manage- 
ment one should consider the herd boar, the sows, the pigs and feeding swine. 
When it comes to breeding there are many things to consider. There is no one 
best breed, but one should use the lard type breed found in the community, and above 
all should always use pure-bred boars. 

Owing to the climate swine and other live stock are usually freer from disease 
in Texas than in other sections. Improved methods of control by the use of serum 
and virus have eliminated all dangers of losses from hog cholera. Tuberculosis, a very 
destructive disease in many States, is practically' unknown among the swine herds in 
Texas. 

The facilities offered for hog raising in Texas are equal to those of any section of 
the Corn Belt. The prices are equally as high, and the marketing system is perfected 
to a high degree. Good hogs always bring good prices. It is only profitable to market 
hogs at an early age. It does not pay to overfeed before loading. The hogs should be 
comfortable in transit, and cruelty in handling should be avoided ; cars should not be 
overloaded, and hogs should be consigned to a commission firm. 

Page Four 



"-^s?: 



\g Jerseys and Hol- 



iO.OOOa 



1 1918. worth $18,000,000. 



Texas produced 18.000.000 bushels of peanuts on 

""^ ■ - - ■ *■ TO. 

the Edwards 

yields 15.000,000 bushels of kafir, milo and 




crop of Texas annually total 



Vacational Outings in the National Parks 

YOUR National Parks are a vast region of peaks, can>ons, glaciers, geysers, big 
trees, volcanoes, pre-historic ruins and other natural scenic wonders. 

Visit them this summer— for fishing, mountain climbing and "roughing it." 

Ask for descriptive illustrated booklet of the National Park or National Monument 
you are specially interested in— here is the list: Crater Lake, Ore.; Glacier, Mont.; 
Grand Canyon, Ariz.; Hawaii; Hot Springs, Ark.; Mesa Verde, Colo.; Mt. Rainier, 
Wash. ; Petrified Forest, Ariz. ; Rockv Mountains, Colo. ; Sequoia, Cal. ; Yellowstone, 
Wyo. ; Yosemite, Cal., and Zion, Utah. 

Address 

Travel Bureau, U. S. Railroad Administration. 646 Transportation Bldg., Chicago, 

111., or 143 Liberty St., New York City, or 602 Healey Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. 



This "Booklet Is Issued by 

The United States 
Railroad Administration 

J. L. Edwards, Mgr. Agricultural Section 
Division of Traffic 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 



-For Further Information Address- 



TEXAS STATE CAPITOL 




I 



I- 



To erect this building the State gave the contractors a block of counties equal 
in area to the grant which King James gave to the Earl of Warwick in 1630 to es- 
tablish a colony in America, and which is now the State of Connecticut. 



The Capitol Building measures 600 feet from east to west ; from north to 
south it measures 287 feet; from the ground to the top of the dome 313 feet. The 
Texas Capitol is six feet higher than the National Capitol, the latter being onl_v 307 
feet. The outside of the Texas Capitol is built of the finest red granite secured 
from the quarries in Burnet County. Texas. Wainscoting is of oak, cherry, walnut, 
ash, cedar and mahogany. The total length of the wainscoting is eight miles. The 
building alone covers three acres, the floor space covering twenty acres. Construc- 
tion was begun in 1882 and completed in 1886. In the grounds of the Capitol 
there are twenty-two acres, four acres of walks and four acres of drives. 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



TRACTORS COMING INTO GENERAL USE. 

Texas farmers are heavy purchasers of farm tractors since the beginning of the 
war. There are some 15,000 tractors in Texas at present. The generally level territory 
of the whole State makes tractor operation successful and not prohibitive in cost. 
North Texas is the small grain region of the State. In many instances large farms 
cover an area of several square miles allowing the maximum efficiency of tractor 
operation at lowest cost. 

Motor trucks are also in considerable use on all up-to-date farms in Texas. Loads 
of five to seven tons are hauled. A popular practice is to use tractors and in some 
instances the smaller farm trucks for harvesting grain by attaching them to wheat 
binders or hauling a train of wagons full of wheat or corn. The use of tractors has 
made practical the employment of heavier and more labor-saving machinery. It is 
common sight to see a large tractor in Texas pulling a set of ten or a dozen gang 
plows. 

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES EXCELLENT. 

Proximity to markets is one of the essentials of an agricultural producing terri- 
tory. The main railroad trunk lines of the continent either pass through Texas or 
are within easy reach. For the live stock raiser the markets of Chicago, Kansas City 
and St. Louis are easily accessible, while Fort Worth, an important market for cattle, 
hogs and sheep, is located in the main cattle producing district of Texas, and with 
Houston, Dallas and San Antonio forms the important live stock markets of the State. 

Texas has 15,500 miles of main line and branches, and 4,000 miles of yard tracks 
and sidings. This is the largest mileage of any State in the Union. More railroads 
will be built. In the undeveloped, or sparsely settled, portions of the State, railway 
facilities are also adequate to meet present freight traffic. 

RIVERS OF TEXAS. 

/he six principal rivers of the State which traverse its territory in a more or less 
north and south direction, are from east to west, the Sabine ,the Neches, the Trinity, 
the Brazos, the Colorado and the Rio Grande. All of these are navigable for a part 
of the distance from the Gulf, except the Colorado — the mouth of which is congested 
by a raft — but none of them have been improved sufficiently, or are sufficiently used, 
to relieve the railways of any considerable amount of transportation of agricultural 
products. 

GREAT TEXAS OIL FIELDS. 

Texas is one of the greatest oil-producing territories in the world. One-fourth 
of all the oil in the United States is refined in Texas. Oil has been found in many 
parts of the State in widely separated districts. Among the better known fields in 
point of production are : 

Burkburnett, Ranger, Goose Creek, Humble, Electra, Breckenridge, Sour Lake, 
West Columbia, Brownwood, Comanche, De Leon, Batson, Damon's Mound, Spindle- 
top, Petrolia, Hull, Saratoga, Moran, x\rcher, Iowa Park, Clay and Navarro Counties and 
others. 

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. 

Texas has a splendid system of education ; starting with the public schools of the 
communities, through the consolidated district schools to the high schools of the towns 
and cities, and from these to the higher educational institutions of the State : The State 
Normal Schools, which are co-educational ; the Girls' Industrial College ; the Agri- 
cultural and Mechanical College, with its several branches, including a co-educational 
Industrial and Normal College for the colored youths of the State; finally, the Uni- 
versity of the State, with its two branches, the State School of Mines and the State 
Medical College. In addition to the colleges named, and supported by the State, 
there are several denominational colleges and one institution of higher learning, 
privately endowed, which are highly creditable to the educational system of the State. 

Page Five 



?TEXAS F^RM OPPORTUNITIES 



<. 



Technically and legally, the Agricultural and Mechanical College is a branch of 
the University. Practically it is separate and distinct, being separately and distantly 
located from the University, with a separate board of control. The University and the 
public schools of the State have been well endowed from the public lands, Texas 
having reserved her public lands when she entered the Union after the war with 
Mexico. The University still owns most of her land, but most of that belonging to 
the public schools of the State has been sold. 

GOOD ROADS. 

The people of the State are fully sensible of the advantages afforded by good roads, 
of the necessity for their construction and maintenance. Considering the size of the 
State, it is fairly well supplied with good roads, but the total mileage of surfaced high- 
ways is rapidly increasing within the State. The State Government has a considerable 
fund for the construction of public highways, and this will be supplemented by a fund 
from the United States Government. These highways will, of course, be independent 
of the improved public roads in the several counties. In the southern part of the State 
there are many miles of shelled roads, and in the northern part of the State, the black 
land belt, the highways are being surfaced with gravel, or, in some cases, bituminous 
surface. In the western part of the State, in spite of its being sparsely settled, the 
dry climate and the abundance of gravel and rock make it possible to construct the 
necessary highways without any great burden upon the people. 

CHURCHES. 

The population of Texas is thoroughly cosmopolitan, not only made up of citizens 
from every State, but having within its borders people from many foreign countries — 
notably from Mexico, Germany, Bohemia, Italy, England, Poland, Denmark and Nor- 
way. The various religious denominations of this country and several foreign coun- 
tries are represented, and church facilities may be said to be ample throughout the State. 

CITIZENSHIP OF HIGH QUALITY. 

The citizenship of Texas compares with that of any State in the Union. The early 
settlement of Texas was by hardy pioneers, who came from Tennessee, Kentucky 
and Virginia. They carved out an Empire in the wilderness and fought their way to 
success against obstacles which would have daunted less hardy and determined men 
and women. The struggles for Texas independence are known to every school boy and 
the pages about the Alamo and the triumph over foreign oppression are radiant with 
heroism. 

It must not be supposed that all of Texas is the home of great ranches and cat- 
tle. That may apply to the western part of the State and parts of the Gulf Coast 
country, where ranching on a large scale is still flourishing. East and North Texas are 
highly developed agricultural regions, with small and medium-sized farms devoted to 
the raising of standard crops suited to their territory. Modern homes abound and im- 
provements of all kinds are common. Good roads, large, well-built barns, tight fences, 
modern equipment and general progress mark the farming portions of the State. The 
little isolated red school house is giving way to the consolidated school, in which chil- 
dren from the entire surrounding community are taught by teachers fitted for their 
work in the many higher educational institutions and Normal schools of the State. 



Page Six 



TEXAS FARM 6 PPb RtUNltlES 





SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS 

OUT?I CENTRAL TEXAS, from an agricultural standpoint, is a 
highly developed region. The northwestern part is generally known 
as the mountain section. South of this mountain section, the rainfall 
is lighter than in any other portion of the territory, but in this terri- 
tory are found some of the best irrigation areas. Among these are 
Carrizo Springs and Crystal City, and many other places where 
irrigation is possible, but not yet developed. The black land section 
runs north and south through the middle portion. Lying southeast of 
this black land is a strip, varying in width from a mile to ten or fifteen miles, and 
some geologists say it is the old Gulf shore line. Southeast of this is an area of gently 
rolling lands. Between this and the coast are the level coastal plains. 

The general direction of all streams that drain this territory is southeastward, 
and all of them rise in the mountainous territory. These embrace the Colorado, Gua- 
dalupe, San Antonio, Medina, Frio and Nueces Rivers and their tributaries. However, 
there are several small and somewhat short streams. These are remarkable because 
they are dry most of the time, yet apparently are the channels through which surface 
waters seep and form considerable artesian areas covering many thousand acres. 
This artesian area is part of the one nearest to and running nearly parallel to the Gulf 
coast. There is another artesian area that lies between the two sand belts above 
described, which begins in the general vicinity of Carrizo Springs and runs east through 
the territory. The third artesian area follows a line of springs that are on the edge 
of the mountain section. This line of springs is generally west and north along the 
mountains. Here may be found some of the largest springs in the world. Some of the 
greatest artesian wells are also to be found here, and the purity of their water is not 
excelled. 

Plant life of the mountain section differs entirely from that of portions southeast. 
The mountain section carries cedar, oak and various kinds of hard woods, while the 




A Flock of S. C. White Leghorn Layers. 



Page Seven 



timber of the portion southeast is almost entirely of the general mesquite variety. 
Similar differences exist in the various vegetations. This mountain section also exer- 
cises a large influence on the climate and rainfall, and is one of the potent factors in 
making South Central Texas a desirable place to live. 



SOILS. 

Soils of South Central Texas are various. Those of the valleys in the mountain 
section are generally black and almost entirely free from sand. Black soil prevails 
along the south and east edges of the mountain section, but is more of a nature of 
clay. Lying immediately south and east of this black clay is a strip of sandy loam. These 
valley lands are of unusual richness, and the sandy loam generally has enough mix- 
ture of other soils to make it valuable. Lying south and east of this sandy loam is 
an area of land gently rolling or moderately rolling. The lands are ordinarily of the 
loam variety, and vary from light sandy to the heavy black loam, and are suited to 
general diversified farming. South and east of this rolling area are the black coastal 

lands. 
k^ This description of soils is only general. Many variations are found in each 

1^^ particular section because of the number of streams that flow through it, and 
flPI^ the minor washes of the soil through ages of rainfall, so that in almost 

any place many varieties of soil may be found, and it is rare to find any 
iK^ H^ good-sized farm where two or more different kinds of soil cannot 
be found. 

WATER SUPPLY. 

In the black land district just south and east of the 

mountain section there is usally a good supply of 

artesian water. This region furnishes perhaps one 

of the largest artesian systems in the world. The 

water exists in great abundance and purity. 

There is another artesian system in the 

rolling section south and east of the first 

sandy strip. There is a third 

artesian system which lies for 

the most part in the level 

coastal plain, and ordinarily this 

exists only in the general 

vicinity of streams. 

Shallow wells can be found 

most anywhere in South 

Central Texas, under 

either sandy land or 

sandy loam, except 

where these sands 




Page Eight 



Marketing Broom Corn, South Central Texas 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtUNltlES; 



deepen in an outcrop of an artesian water supply, but shallow wells have never 
been found in South Central Texas under black, compact, or clay lands. The above 
statements apply only to raw or uncultivated lands. After the compact lands have 

been cultivated for a term of 
years the shallow well usually 
appears, so that it is safe to 
say that within five or ten 
years after any considerable 
body of lands of South Central 
Texas has been cultivated 
there will appear in most 
cases a good supply of water 
in shallow wells. 

RAINFALL. 

The rainfall in South Cen- 
tral Texas varies from about 
20 inches on the extreme west 
to about 40 inches in the ex- 
treme eastern part, there be- 
ing a decrease in the rainfall 
from east to west. The rain- 
fall of South Central Texas is 
not evenly distributed, but 
the interior parts west of the 
Colorado River have the heav- 
iest average rainfall in April 
and May, with another period 
of less rain in late summer or 
early autumn. The rainfall in 
winter is lightest, and in the 
late summer a little more than 
in winter. 

CONSERVATION OF 
MOISTURE. 

Except in the eastern part 
of South Central Texas there 
is little or no need for drain- 
age, but there is a necessity 
for conserving moisture. This 
is accomplished in two ways. 
First, by plowing the land in 
the fall the soil is made loose 
and porous, and will take in 
the fall and winter rains, and 
so accumulate a stock of 
moisture. On the other hand, 
if compact lands are allowed 
to remain unplowed, much of 
the rainfall will run off down 
the streams. By frequent 
shallow cultivations of the 
soil during the crop season a 
mulch is obtained on the top 
of the ground that prevents 
the evaporation of moisture. 
These two ways constitute 
the difference between farm- 
ing in the rain belt and in 

Page Nine 




Corn grown in South Central Texas 



X 



TEXAS FA.T9;W OPPORTUNITIES 




l^l- 3V^. 



Cabbage grown in South Central Texas 

South Central Texas, and the farmer who observes these two rules of plowin.^ the 
land in the fall and giving crops frequent shallow cultivation will very seldom fail. 

FARM CROPS. 

Many of the successful farm crops of South Central Texas are familiar to those who 
have lived and farmed in the North, and others are equally as familiar to those who 
have lived and farmed in the South. 

Cotton is the chief crop. The idea is to make the cotton crop better on a smaller 
acreage. 

A larger acreage of grains and grain crops is desired. These crops are usually 
confined to corn or grain sorghums. It is not usually believed best to grow corn where 
the rainfall is less than 35 inches, and it is ordinarily not best to attempt to grow 
much corn unless winter rainfall has been good. On the other hand, it is usually 
not advisable to attempt to grow grain sorghums where the rainfall is over 30 inches. 




Spineless Cactus, South Central Texas Cattle Emergency Feed 



Page Ten 



TEXAS fa"r;w opportunities 



Another reason why grain sorghums are preferred is that after the first crop is cut, 
they will revive and grow a second crop. Jn regions of less than 30 inches of rainfall 
grain sorghums will average double the production of corn, and they are fully the 
equal, ton for ton, of corn for silage and fodder. The method of planting and culti- 
vating grain sorghums is precisely like that of corn. 

For the loam and sandy lands peanuts are the best feed crop. Peanuts are readily 
marketed for cash, and at the present time are selling for $1.50 to $1.75 per bushel. 
It is also possible to exchange peanuts for peanut meal at some of the oil mills. 
Peanuts are especially valuable as first crop on new land. 

Among the winter feed crops may be mentioned oats, rye, bur clover and rape. 
It is especially true that bur clover is a satisfactory crop in the eastern part of South 
Central Texas, where it will go very far toward supplying the green feed that is 
required by dairy cows and cattle during the winter. Among summer pastures can 
be mentioned Sudan grass. It is also valuable for hay. Where the lime in the ground 
is sufficient, white sweet clover is valuable for pasture or hay, and is also one of the 
best fertilizers known. 




Egyptian Wheat, one of the Grain Sorghums, South Central Texas (Corn on right) 

Page Eleven 



TEXAS FAT5M OPPORTUNITIES 



RHODES GRASS. 

Rhodes grass is probably the most valuable grass for South Central Texas, either 
for pasture or hay. It will not survive a temperature colder than 14 degrees F. A sin- 
gle bunch of this grass may extend untilit will be from two to four feet in diameter 
and ordinarily it is from 12 to 18 inches thick. This grass will live through drouth, 
but it will not produce during severe drouths. It will, however, revive on rainfall 
and continue production. It does best under rainfall or irrigation, and its growth 
under favorable conditions is so rapid as to challenge belief. It will pasture two steers 
or yield from four to eight tons of hay per acre, under favorable conditions. 







Cotton Plant in South Central Texas 



Page Twelve 



TEXAS FARM OPPdRTUNITIES 



The climate of South Central Texas is excellent for raising live stock. The mild 
and comparatively dry winters enable the feeding of live stock cheaply. The largest 
dairy in the United States is located in South Central Texas. The bulk of the for- 
tunes in South Central Texas have been made through handling cattle. 

There are excellent opportunities for hog raising, and there is no better feed than 
a combination of meal from the grain sorghums and peanut meal. 

V^egetables can be grown every month of the year. Among truck crops that are 
most successful are sweet potatoes. Irish potatoes will also do well in many places, and 
many varieties of peas and beans. Among fruits that are successful may be men- 
tioned plums, pears, grapes, figs, early varieties of peaches. Strawberries, dewberries 
and backberries can be grown in abundance. 

Commercial truck growing is receiving more attention in favored localities. The 













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Jersey Herd in Alfalfa Field, South Central Texas 



large markets located in this part 
of the State are favorable to quick 
sale and good prices. A large 
tourist business is catered to and 
fancy shipments of truck are in 
demand. Labor is usually ade- 
quate to handling the crop ad- 
vantageously. 

POULTRY PROFITABLE. 

There are unlimited opportuni- 
ties for poultry raising. In one of 
the counties of South Central 
Texas the "turkey trot" was sub- 
stituted for the county fair, and as 
many as 14,000 turkeys were driv- 
en through town at one time. 




Sudan Grass — Three cuttings a year. One 
ton to the acre. South Central Texas 



SILOS. 

Texas has 7,000 silos, the largest number being in Southeast Texas. There are 
two distinct types ; the well-known type built above ground and the underground. 

Page Thirteen 



TEXAS fXTJM opportunities 



It is important to have silos on the farm, and where soil permits it is usuall}' 
better to have an underground form. The more satisfactory size is about 12 feet in 
diameter, and 30 feet deep with a cement curb at the top rising about four feet above 
the ground, and the walls and the l)ottom of the silo plastered with cement. This 
type of silo is cheap and satisfactory. There should be several silos on the farm, in 
which enough silage will be stored to satisfy the needs of the farmer for at least a year. 

A very satisfactory way of keeping grain is to cut off the heads of the grain 
sorghums, leaving about two or three feet of stems attached, and putting them in stacks 
with the heads on the inside of the stack. These stacks are very much like the ordinary 
stacks of hay, and grain sorghums put up in this way have been kept satisfactorily for 
two or three years. 




Grapes Growing in South Central Texas 



Page Fourteen 



TE 



F>M?M__6_PP6 RtU N I tl E S 



GRAPE GROWING. 

The vineyards of South Central Texas have been famous for almost a century. 
In the early days European grapes of Spanish and Italian origin were cultivated by 
the padres in the missions established in the wilds. Excellent table grapes have been 

grown under irrigation on many farms and are 

shipped to Texas and neighboring markets. In 

many respects the soils of this part of Texas 

resemble those of famous grape-growing States. 

The limestone soils, as well as the sandier types 

underlaid with limestone, produce grapes of excep- 
tional table flavor and high 
market value. Modern 
methods of marketing the 
crop are in use in many 
vineyards. A large part of 
the crop is marketed lo- 
cally and shipments are 
made to Northern States. 
Grape vines in South Cen- 
tral Texas grow to a great 
age and reach a large diam- 
ter, showing that the cli- 
mate is adaptable to grape 
growing. Some varieties of 
wild grapes have been success- 
fully developed and crossed with 
table varieties. 



CANTALOUPES AN '^ 
IMPORTANT CROP. 1%^* 

The raising of cantaloupes of 
many varieties is a considerable 
industry in South Central Texas. 
Train loads of melons are shipped 
to the large markets and efficient 
marketing methods are employed. 
Co-operative associations for grow- 
ing and marketing the crop are 
placing the cantaloupe industry 
upon a firm foundation. South Central 
Texas cantaloupes reach the market early 
and command high prices, not only because 
of flavor, but early maturity. The canta- 
loupe acreage is increasing every year. Growers 
report incomes from $100 to $300 an acre, where the 
crop has received proper attention. Fertilizers, 
when used with judgment, have produced astonish- 
ing yields, although as a rule the soils are of suffi- 
cient fertility to yield large crops without their use. 

Watermelons of exceptional flavor and size are 
grown in South Central Texas. They also mature 
very early and reach market when prices are highest. 
Texas watermelons have established a reputation far 
and wide and are in demand in all markets. Often 
the land planted to melons is sowed to ?. cover crop 
and pastured during the winter by cattle and horses. 
In this manner fertility is maintained from year to Grapes grow finely in 
year. Central Texas 




South 



Page Fifteen 



>TEXAaS fAi^M opportunities 



Pie melons for stock feeding, especially dairy cows, are grown with success. They 
yield amazingly and are known to be a cheap source of essential feed for live stock. 

EXCELLENT HIGHWAYS EXIST 

The highways of Texas have been brought to a high state of efficiency in recent 
years. Texas is building more roads than ever in its history, and its bond issues run 
into many millions. The State has an abundance of exceptionally valuable road building 
material in its mountains and plateaus. There are gravel beds in practically all parts 
of the State from which road material is gotten at small cost. 





















^^..•^^ 



'dk-v 



Cantaloupes in South Central Texas 



Page Sixteen 



TEXAS FARM 6 PPORtU N itlES 



IRRIGATION IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. 

The irrigation possibilities of South Central Texas are great. The rivers which 
traverse this territory can be made to irrigate the crops growing on adjoining fields. 
Various systems of irrigation are in use. Waters are impounded during periods of 
overflow in natural or artificial reservoirs. The gravel beds alongside river courses, 



Orange Tree 30 years old, South 




Fig Orchard, South Central Texas 



Page Seventeen 



^tEXAS fXi^M OPPbRtU^^NltjES 

forming the ancient stream beds, have a constant subterranean flow of water which 
can be pumped to the fields with an average lift of twenty-five to fifty feet. Such 
pumping stations have been shown to be highly profitable and inexpensive as to upkeep. 
Often the course of a stream is such that the waters can be diverted at certain points and 




Good Road, South Central Texas 




Irrigation and Power Dam, Guadalupe, South Central Texas 



Page Eighteen 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtUNltlES 



made to flow by gravity on either side, later finding their way again into the stream 
proper. 

The use of water on crops in South Central Texas is magical. The soils are pro- 
ductive, and when timely water is added the crops grow luxuriantly. Cotton, corn, 
grain sorghums, alfalfa, Sudan grass, several varieties of cane and Rhodes grass are 
irrigated successfully and made to yield huge crops. Feed crops under irrigation mean 
a stable live stock industry. Dairying is on the increase and better cows have been 
introduced of late. 

Truck crops are irrigated successfully and are shipped to the large cities located 
near by as well as to distant markets. In many cases the truck crops are made to rotate 




with feed crops, es- 
tablishing a profit- 
able farming system 
and returning large 
incomes per acre. 

Irrigation of home 
gardens and shade 
trees helps to make 
the home more at- 
tractive. Highways, in some instances, are lined 
with shade trees watered from adjoining creeks 
or rivers. Several streams are fed from springs 
in western mountains and flow the entire year. 

With the introduction of water, greater atten- 
tion has been paid to beautifying the surround- 
ings. Flower gardens now are common and 
rambling vines may be seen growing over win- 
dows and on trellises. Where shallow water is 
found windmills have been put in operation to 
pump the water onto adjoining acres, and truck 
crops are kept in flourishing condition. On some 
farms field crops such as red-top, various varieties 
of cane and grain sorghums, are irrigated on both 
large and small scale, thus assuring a sufficient 
amount of feed crops in times of stress. A double- 
operating windmill on one derrick has been used 
with success on farms. The depth to water in 
parts of South Central Texas makes pumping 
inexpensive, and this phase of farming is grad- 
ually being enlarged. 

In no sense must this irrigation be considered 
it may be considered as a supplemental matter in t 
cal time. 



mmm 




iii^. 




Top : Hereford Cattle, South Central 
Texas. Center: Baby Herefords, 
South Central Texas. Bottom: 
Pure-bred Hereford Bull, South 
Central Texas 

as absolutely essential to farming, but 
imes of insufficient rainfall at a criti- 

Page Nineteen 



TEXAS FAT^M 6 PPORtU N ITJES 



NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS 




ORTH TEXAS is pre-eminently a grain, hay, forage crop, live stock, 
dairy and cotton-producing territory. It is the most highly developed 
region of Texas, and leads in the value of agricultural output. The 
famous black prairie belt of North Texas is a territory occupied by 
successful farmers. There are all the signs of prosperity — beStUtiful, 
large and comfortable homes, great barns and stables, large planta- 
tions and farms, good roads and an excellent system of railroads. 
The opportunities of North Texas are many and varied. The soil is 
of highest fertility, be- 
ing composed of disin- 
tegrated limestone and 
enriched through ages 
of decaying vegetation 
on the former prairies. 
Wherever good farm 
practices are in use the 
returns are high. 

North Texas leads 
the State in the number 
of developed farms. 
Several of the largest 
cities of the Southwest 
are located in this terri- 
t o r y , surrounded by 
fields noted for their 
productivity. Cotton 
for years has been the 

chief farm crop in North Texas, for which the soil is admirably adapted, but of recent 
years more attention has been paid to the introduction of pure-bred live stock, work 
stock and dairy stock, and gradually the farmers are beginning to diversify on a large 
scale. Crop rotation has resulted in phenomenal changes, and has opened the eyes of 

farmers to latent possi- 
bilities formerly over- 
looked. 

Practically all of the 
wheat raised in Texas 
is grown in North 
Texas. The same may 
be said of the oats, rye 



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Harvesting Barley, North Texas 




and barley. The north- 
ern tier of counties 
are famous for their 
uniformly dependable 
production of cereals. 
Some of the largest 
wheat elevators in 

Page Twenty 



Hay Harvest, North Texas 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



Texas are not far from the Red River, which is the northern border of the State. 
Flouring mills have sprung up as a result, doing a thriving business. 

A PROMISING DAIRY COUNTRY. 

Texas presents unusual opportunities for dairying either on a large or small scale. 
Millions of dollars' worth of condensed milk and cream are shipped into the State 
annually, the money for which should all be kept at home. In the last few years 
dairying has grown rapidly in many parts of the State. North and Central Texas 

are the leaders in 
dairying at present. 
H o 1 s t e i n cows of 
pure-bred stock have 
been imported into 
Texas from North- 
ern herds and have 
easily acclimated 
themselves and made 
large profits for their 
owners. Several 
large cities of North 
and Central Texas 
have set aside funds 
at the disposal of re- 
liable farmers and 
dairymen for the 
purchase of pure- 
bred cows. Bankers 
and business men 
have interested 
themselves in the 
possibilities of dairy- 
ing under modern 
scientific manage- 
ment. 

The Jersey cow 
has long been the 
standard dairy cow 
of Texas. She is the 
ideal family cow, and 
occupies an impor- 
tant place in the 
dairy industry of the 
Southwest. There 
are thousands of Jer- 
sey cows in the State 
and their owners are 
improving the milk- 
yielding powers by 
breeding from select- 
ed and proven types. 
Better bulls out of 
high milk-producing 
strains of Jerseys are 
being crossed with 
the cows and general 
improvement has fol- 
lowed. 

The introduction 
of Northern Holstein 




Top : Corn in shock, North Texas. Center : Tractor Har- 
vesting Wheat, North Texas. Bottom: Tractor plowing in 
wheat stubble, North Texas. 



Page Twenty-One 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



cows into Texas has increased the value of milch cows generally. A cow giving- 3,500 
pounds of milk a year at present commands ^75 in value. A cow giving 8,000 pounds 
of milk a year is valued at $250, and one giving 12,000 pounds is worth $350 to $500. 
Registered Hereford bulls have been crossed with great success on native cows of milk 
type. Milk prices in Texas cities are high, because it has been impossible to supply the 
demand with the present herds. 

ALFALFA EXCELLENT DAIRY FEED. 

There are thousands of acres of alfalfa in North Texas in the bottoms of the black 
land belt. The natural limestone ingredient of the soil makes alfalfa very productive. 



Quartet 

of Baby 

Shorthorns, 

Central 

Texas 




Group of Jerseys in North Texas 

Alfalfa is the principal hay fed to dairy cows. There are yields of alfalfa which total 
seven tons an acre in five or six cuttings, depending upon seasonal conditions. Large 

Page Twenty-Two 



barns may be seen on farms where alfalfa hay is stored. In winter it commands from 
$25 to $40 a ton, and the supply is never equal to the demand. 

Sweet clover, which is one of the most productive clover varieties, is beginning 
to be introduced on Texas farms in limestone regions. This hay, which was formerly 
considered a weed, today is winning the support of practical farmers and feeders. 
When cut at the right stage of development it makes excellent hay and has almost 
the same feeding value as alfalfa. Sandy soils will grow sweet clover if they are given 
a liming. A ton of lime will correct the acidity of soil which interferes with the 
growth of legumes. 




Immunized Hogs in Central Texas 



LARGEST COTTON COUNTY IN WORLD. 

One of the North Texas counties is the largest cotton-producing region in the 
world. In a good year this one county will market 110,000 to 140,000 bales of cotton 
of superior quality. The black prairie lands are suited to the growing of longer staple 
cotton than the ordinary inch staple. Farmers are co-operating to produce a uniform 
product and obtain a uniform price. The excellent work of the United States Depart- 




Stocker Hogs being finished on North Te> as Farm 

ment of Agriculture in opening classing offices for testing the length of staple, free 
of charge to farmers, has had much to do with standardizing the output. The most 
profitable varieties grown in North Texas are those which make a staple averaging one 
and one-sixteenth to one and one-eighth inches in length, and selling at a premium 
over inch cotton. The greatest step forward in the history of Texas cotton was taken 
last August, when the Bureau of Markets opened twelve classing offices in the State. 

Page Twenty-Three 



A dozen more offices will be opened this year, and practically the entire State will be 
affected. The sales made throug"h the classing offices netted farmers who made use 
of them more than $2,000,000 additional j^rofits. The marketing results were so suc- 
cessful that other crops besides cotton are to be handled along similar lines. 

Some of the largest cotton warehouses in the world are located in North Texas. 
Texas cotton has a fame throughout the e pinning world, based upon the hard, tough, 




Young Poland-Chinas at mess in a North Texas Hog Yard 

wiry staple which distinguishes it from other cotton. It has special uses in manufacture 
and commands a premium. 

LIVE STOCK INDUSTRY GROWING. 

The live stock industry of North Texas has been placed upon a business basis 
and upon scientific farm management. The Hereford breed is most popular, and large 




Big-boned Poland-China Hogs on Alfalfa, North Texas 

herds are not only grassed, but are finished for market on Texas-grown feeds. The 
modern cattle feeder is not content to grass his steer and send him to Northern farms 
for finishing. In years of large crops the grain value is enhanced by feeding it to 
cattle and marketing the crop on four feet. Should corn prove insufficient for fatten- 
ing steers ,then kafir, milo and feterita are relied upon. They are almost as good as 

Page Twenty-Four 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtUNltlES 



corn, according to the experiences of practical feeders and of the various Texas experi- 
ment stations, which have established standards of relative feeding values. 

The feeding of hogs is an important industry. In Texas it is not wholly based 
upon corn, as is the case in corn States. On the contrary, hogs may be grown to a 
stocker weight of 80 to 125 pounds on rape, alfalfa, Sudan grass, peanuts and such 
winter pasture as wheat, barley, rye and oats. This combination of feed will insure 
quick growth. Later the hogs can either be shipped to other territory for finishing on 
cheap concentrates or be finished on home-grown kafir, milo, feterita, corn or barley. 
Barley as a hog feed in North Texas is receiving the attention of practical feeders more 
and more every year. The barley will yieM from 35 to 50 bushels an acre, and is out 
of the field by June. This makes it the earliest feed crop that can be grown in North 



Angora 
Goats, 
North 
Texas 




Hampshire- 
down 
Sheep, 
North 
Texas 



Texas. Barley is soaked in water, or it is ground and fed dry to the hogs. The gains 
made are equal to corn. Milo will yield 25 to 60 bushels an acre, and kafir and feterita 
about the same, depending upon conditions. Milo is better adapted to growing in 
West and Northwest Texas, where the dry climate is suitable to its demands. The 
grain sorghums cannot be grown far east of the 25-inch rainfall line, as they are 
attacked by a midge with fatal consequences. Corn, under proper tillage, will yield 
an average of 25 to 40 bushels an acre in a good season of well-distributed rainfall. 

Page Twenty-Five 



^tEXAS fXtJTVV OPPbRTUNltlES 



^ 



SHEEP ON MANY FARMS. 

Sheep are becoming- common on North Texas farms, where they are used in an 
entirely new manner. Instead of keeping the sheep on the native prairies, they are now 
allowed the run of the entire farm at different seasons of the year. The enlightened 
sheep farmer lets the sheep into his corn field to eat the cowpeas after the corn harvest 
He grazes the sheep on barley, oats, rye or wheat in the fall. He lets them go into 
practically every field to eat the weeds and grass in the fence corners and out-of-the- 




Irrigated Corn and Velvet Beans, Brazos Valley, Central Texas 

way places. In this way they become very profitable, as their feed cost is reduced to 
a minimum. Sheep, of course, must be fed regularly to do their best, but there are so 
many fields which will afford good sheep pasture if the farmer only had the sheep to 
graze them. 

Page Twenty-Six 



TEXAS fAf^M 6 PPb RTU N if I E S 



ANGORA GOATS ARE POPULAR. 

The xA.ngora goat also is becoming popular on Texas farms. Stocker goats are 
bought at the Texas live stock markets and shipped to farms to consume corn fodder 
and such other crops as will afford late fall roughage. They are fed some cottonseed 
meal on grass. Experiments with Velvet beans have proved highly successful when 
goats have been turned into the corn fields wdiere the beans grew. 

POULTRY AND EGGS PAY. 

As a poultry and egg producing section North Texas has an enviable record. The 
mixed flocks are rapidly passing out of use. The average farm is supplied with pure- 
bred breeding stock of the accepted egg-laying or meat breeds. There are annual 
poultry shows which stir up enthusiasm and rivalry and encourage the raising of desir- 




Irrigated Garden Truck, Brazos Valley, Central Texas 

able birds. The poultry department of the Texas Agricultural College Extension 
Service, which affects all parts of the State, is one of the best equipped in the country. 
The large cities of Texas offer an excellent market for eggs and fowls. The demand is 
far above the present supply. The short and comparatively mild winters encourage 
egg laying at a time when prices are highest. Simple poultry houses are sufficient. 
No glass fronts are required. A wire screen front is in common use and gives full 
satisfaction. On cold nights a curtain may be lowered to protect the birds. There 
is remarkably little disease. Many men and women are engaged in the exclusive rais- 
ing and marketing of poultry and eggs. 

Page Twenty-Seven 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 




Oats yielding 75 bushels an acre, Central Texas 

CENTRAL TEXAS. 



Central Texas is in reality the 
southern ct)ntinuation of North 
Texas. It occupies the geograph- 
ical center of the State. The 
chief grain crops are corn, wheat, 
oats, rye and the grain sorg'hums. 
Cotton is grown throughout Cen- 
tral Texas. Large oil mills and 
cotton compresses are located in 
the larger cities. 

The famous black lands occupy 
a large area of Central Texas. 

The live stock industry is well 
advanced, the larger herds con- 
sisting of pure-bred Herefords, 
Shorthorns and Aberdeen Angus. 
Hogs and sheep are also raised 
on a large scale. Silos are be- 
coming popular. 

A large acreage of castor beans 
was grown in Central Texas last 
year, with considerable profit to 
the growers. 

Dairying is one of the most 
profitable industries in Central 
Texas, and the herds are being 
improved annually by the intro- 
duction of better breeding stock. 
There is no greater opportunity 
to make money than to engage in 
dairying with a productive herd 
near some large center. 




Sweet Clover, North Texas 



Page Twenty- Eight 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



Much has been said about cotton, and a great deal more can be said because it is the 
standard and staple crop of the South and Southwest. 

Cotton is a dependable crop and has been grown to the exclusion of food and feed 
crops until the State almost became a one-crop country. Agricultural agencies have 
attempted through educational means to show that a one-crop country never flourished 



Ten bales of 
cotton, 
modern farm 
truck, 
Red River 
County, 
North Texas 








Cotton waiting 
to be ginned. 
Red River 
County, 
Texas 



or prospered like a diversified country. Results have been that the cotiun acreage has 
been decreased and food and feed stuffs substituted. 

Better cultural methods have proven that more cotton could be grown on less acre- 
age, leaving room for pasture and feed crops. 

Under proper management and rotation of crops, cotton will not deplete the soil 

Page Twenty-Nine 



_TJ|X^^_'^T^^ OPPORTUNITIES 

any more rapidly from year to year than other crops, but it should be rotated with 
other crops each year and the strictly cotton farm should be discouraged. 

SOYBEANS. 

Soy beans, grown in North Texas, have given excellent results, but they have not 
been grown as extensively as the cowpea and the velvet bean. 

Soy beans yield abundant- 
ly and are very rich in oil 
and protein. They make ex- 
cellent silage, mixed with 
sorghum or corn, and having 
a heavier foliage than the 
cowpea, make more tonnage 
per acre. 

They may be planted in 
April or May, depending 
upon the condition of the 
soil and climatic conditions, 
and are cultivated like other 
row crops. Sometimes they 
are alternated in rows with 
corn and cut at the same 
time with the corn and put 
in the silo, load for load. Soy Beans, North Texas 





Geese and apiary in North Texas Orchard ' 

BEES. 

Texas, with its blooming plants, each and every month in the year, and especially 
with the opening of all fruit blossoms in the early spring, and the clovers and wild 
flowers later, offers ideal conditions for bees and honeymaking. Texas is among the 
leading States in honey production and as to a product of quality is second to none. 

The whole State offers, at different times of the year, a great opportunity for such 
a profitable industry. Many Northern bee men raise their queens in Texas and send 
them North. 



Page Thirty 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNltlES 




A Typical Texas Oil Town. 



OIL. 

In view of the great benefit derived by many farmers in West Texas through the 
discovery and development of oil, it is thought advisable to give a brief history of it in 
this booklet. However, Texas, has become such an active leader in oil production that 
it would require a booklet of its own to do justice to the industry. Further details 
may be had upon application. 

TEXAS OIL FIELDS. 

Texas as an oil field sprung into prominence almost overnight some twenty years 
ago. Development has been carried on ever since that time, but nothing alarming has 
happened for a number of years until in October, 1917, when a great oil pool was 
opened up in Central West Texas. Oil men from all over the United States were 
rapidly attracted to this field and geologists have said that one of the greatest oil 
fields in the world had been opened. As the old saying, "history repeats itself," in 
a very short time a small town in West Texas of less than five hundred people sprung 
into a thriving little city of more than 25,000. Accommodations were inadequate, railroad 
trackage was not enough to store cars for incoming freight and outgoing oil. Tracks 
were built, tents erected to take care of the people as best they could, temporarily, and 
the little village soon took on the appearance of a city. 

Soon after this oil was found, another pool was discovered in North Texas and 
people began to flock to this small place and the same conditions were found here ; in 
fact, this discovery surpassed the first one, because oil was found in large quantities at 
a much shallower depth. Unusual success followed drilling, as very few dry holes were 
found ; in fact, only about 3 per cent were dry. 

The following report from the oil fields shows how quickly development was com- 
pleted since the Central West Texas field was found in October, 1917, and the North 
Texas field began large production early in 1918. Oil had been found, however, in 
small quantities in the North Texas field several years ago. Report April 19, 1919: 

North Texas 1 50,350 barrels per day 

Central West Texas .' 87,700 barrels per day 

South Texas 82,480 barrels per day 

The more important fields are mentioned elsewhere in this booklet. 

Page Thirty-One 



SLI^M l^'^^^QJ^ o^QIMMIlO^ 



EAST TEXAS 




\ST TRXAS lies north of the Gulf Coast region, along- the 
western boundary of Louisiana, extending west for one hundred miles, 
and north and south for two hundred miles, comprising about 20,000 
square miles. The extreme eastern part is known as the "East Texas 
Timber Belt.'' It is covered with a heavy growth of long and short 
leaf pine, which has supplied for many years the lumber mills of 
Texas and lumber to other parts of the United States. In addition 
.to the pine timber, there are large strips, or extensive forests, of 
available hardwood timbers : oak, gum, hickory, magnolia and ash. 

East Texas has an average annual rainfall of 35 to 50 inches, most of which falls 
during the growing season. There are no crop failures in East Texas. Practically all 
cropsindigenous to the temperate zone can be grown in East Texas with a minimum 
of effort. 

Some of the earliest settlements in Texas were made in this territory. The absence 
of timber farther west extended a constant invitation to the farmer to settle upon the 
fertile black land prairie belt. East Texas remains today as it was in the early settle- 
ment of the State, the most inviting division of the State for the farmer of limited 
means. Much of the timber, which at that time either precluded entirely clearing the 
land for agricultural purposes, or made the task so burdensome that few farmers were 
bold enough to undertake it, has been removed by the sawmills. When all of the 
commercial timber has been removed, leaving the standing stumps, we have what is 
known as "cut-over lands." 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

From the Coastal Plains, with their level stretches of prairie land, we enter the 
great forest, with a gradual elevation until we reach a low range of hills, running in 
an irregular line from northeast to southwest. Many of these hills are capped with 
brown Hematite iron ore, which has protected them from erosion. Between these 
hills are fertile valleys. Much merchantable timber still stands, so that the activities 
of the territory are divided between agriculture and the sawmill industries. 




Peach Orchard. Crop of Cowpeas between Tree Rows 



Page Thirty-Two 



>tEXAS FXrrM OPPbRTUNlflES 

The principal inducements which the country offers to the farmers are : First, 
low-priced land, low-priced compared with land values in other agricultural districts of 
the State; second, the land is partially cleared, as all heavy timber and most of the light 
timber has been removed ; third, abundance of fuel and water, both for domestic and 
farm purposes; fourth, comparative low cost at which farm buildings can be constructed. 

SOILS. 

The soils of East Texas, while not very productive in their virgin state, exclusive 
of the valley soils and prairie glades or plateaus, can be brought to a high state of 
productiveness by means of a minimum amount of commercial fertilizer in the form 
of acid phosphate, and by the growth of legumes, with the raising of live stock for 
the increase and maintenance of the nitrogen supply in the soil. The soils are for the 
most part sandy or sandy loam. In their unfertilized state they will produce good crops 
of peanuts, sweet potatoes and sugar cane for syrup ; but the yield of even these crops 
can be increased with net profit by the addition of a small amount of acid phosphate. 
As a rule, the soils are sufficiently rolling not to need drainage ; but in many cases care 
must be exercised, and terracing may be necessary to prevent washing. The sandy soil, 
being underlaid by a clay subsoil, insures the conservation of whatever fertilizer may 
be applied for the use of the plant. When the soils are improved, profitable crops of 
cotton, corn, Irish potatoes and the spring vegetable crops, especially tomatoes, beans, 
cabbage, cucumbers and melons, may be grown. The legumes, such as the velvet bean, 
the several varieties of the cow pea, the soy bean and Japan clover grow luxuriantly, 
not only replenishing the soil with the necessary nitrogen, but yielding a crop of high 
value for live stock. The soil and the climate make it possible to grow on certain areas 
the finest tobacco produced in the United States. 

SWEET POTATOES BRING WEALTH. 

The sweet potato crop of East Texas is perhaps the most important in some 
respects. It is being handled commercially on a scale never thought possible before 
the War. The food value of the sweet potato has long been recognized in the South. 
It has not been generally introduced into the North because of the difficulty of storing 
and shipping it without large loss. The storage methods have been perfected along 
scientific lines and hundreds of thousands of bushels everv vear are stored in great 




Cotton on Sandy Land, East Texas 



Page Thirty-Three 



TEXAS _ F>mi> M_6p P 6 R t U N I T I e s 



warehouses throughout East Texas. Many counties have large storage plants aver- 
aging from 25,000 to 50,000 bushels capacity. East Texas is considered the sweet 
potato section of Texas. Growers last year received $1.50 per bushel, and the yield per 
acre was from 150 to 300 bushels. No one crop will make larger returns in East 

Texas than the sweet potato. It 
requires little care, provided the 
ground has been properly prepared 
in the first place. The sandy soil 
is the natural home of the sweet 
potato, and it manages to yield 
even under great neglect. In the 
past effort toward raising sweet 
potatoes has been directed solely 
on a small scale. Every farmer 
has been in the habit of raising just 
enough sweet potatoes to supply 
his family needs. A few were also 
raised for the hogs and cattle. This 




is all changing. Large acreages are 
planted because of the storage facilities 
which make the housing of the crop 
safe. The storage is necessary, for 
when the sweet potato crop is first 
harvested the markets are suddenly 
glutted. Storage permits supplying 
the market during winter when prices 
are highest after the first supply of 
potatoes has been exhausted. A cam- 
upaign to introduce the sweet potato 
into the North is in progress. If the 
crop is to become generally popular the 
production will reach millions of bush- 
els annually. 

Page Thirty-Four 



Velvet Beans in Corn Rows, East Texas 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



LIVE STOCK RAISING. 

The country lends itself particularly to the industry of stock raising. Cattle, sheep, 
goats and hogs all do well with a minimum amount of care, so that a farmer of 
limited means may establish a homestead and start with a few head of stock on the 
open range, and by furnishing a small amount of feed for a limited period of the year, 




Black Hulled White Kafir. East Texas 




Harvesting Sweet Potatoes, East Texas 

can carry his stock over in fine condition. Thus his herds will gradually grow with 
little care and with little expense. 

When East Texas pasture is at its best it will maintain a steer to an acre in good 
condition. The average grazing strength, however, may be considered to be about three 
acres to the steer for the whole season. Some seasons the grass is more vigorous, 
depending upon timely rainfall. . , i. ^ 

Page Thirty-Five 



iTEXAS FARM OPPORtumtlES 




Spanish Peanuts Cured in Stack, East Texas 




Threshing Peanuts, East Texas 

EAST TEXAS A DAIRY COUNTRY. 

No territory of the Southwest offers g^reater opportunities for dairying than East 
Texas with its well-distributed rainfall and its great forage crop production. Experts 
agree that dairy cattle can be maintained at less expense on the sandy soils of East 
Texas than elsewhere. First of all, the expense of raising the necessary feed crops is 
less. Velvet beans and corn, cowpeas and Spanish peanuts for hay of unequalled 
merit for dairy cows, Japanese sugar cane for silage of high acre production, com- 

Page Thirty-Six 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



monly averaging 15 tons an acre, will give the East Texas dairyman an advantage 
over territories where long winters interfere with pasture and cause high feed bills. 
The gradual elimination of the cattle fever tick is assured by the passage of effective 
laws. Better live stock, especially dairy cows, have been introduced during the last few 
years on many farms. Pure-bred dairy cows on tick-free territory in East Texas are 
money-makers. Good markets are located not far away and easy transportation at 
relatively low charge make milk shipments profitable. Creameries will follow in the 
wake of the dairy cow and the soil itself will be enriched every year by the quantity 
of stable refuse which a large herd of dairv cows insures. 




Japanese Sugar Cane for Silag: 



PEANUTS A CASH CROP. 

More than 2,000,000 acres of peanuts are grown in the South. First of all, the 
Spanish peanut is one of the greatest stock feeds known. For dairying it is the one 
perfect feed, when cured nuts and vines together, containing practically a balanced ration. 
It is above alfalfa for dairy cows, and since it can be grown with little trouble, will, no- 
doubt, become the staple crop of the sandier areas. There are two methods of handling 
Spanish peanuts. This variety is smaller than the Virginia and Tennessee varieties 
and more productive. It also contains more oil and has a higher value at the oil mills. 
The recent price of $1.25 to $1.50 a bushel has made the raising of Spanish peanuts so 
profitable that farmers have given them exceptional care and have harvested them with 
improved peanut harvesters and separated the nuts from the vines with the use of 
peanut pickers. These machines are gradually being introduced into East Texas. They 
simplify the work of harvest. The oil is next to olive oil in commercial value as a table 
oil. Its uses are manifold, and it is the strongest competitor of cottonseed oil in 
America. 

For a time farmers used to raise Spanish peanuts and let the hogs root them up for 
feed. This resulted in soft-meated hogs, because the animals obtained too one-sided a 
diet. There is more oil in the Spanish peanut than in cotton seed. Peanut product 
factories have been erected in Texas, where the nuts are converted into peanut butter, 
oil and other commodities. The demand for peanuts has been on the increase for the 
last four years, and indications are for the largest acreage in the history of the industry. 

Page Thirty-Seven 



OTHER OIL-BEARING CROPS. 

Soy beans, which are bein^" raised on larger acreage every year in East Texas, are 




Ribbon Cane at the Mill, East Texas 




Making Ribbon Cane Syrup, East Texas 

the only source of a commercial substitute for linseed oil. The shortage of linseed oil 
in the past few years has brought the soy bean into favorable notice with the oil millers. 
It has for some time enjoyed a wide reputation for being one of the most nutritious 
stock foods known. It requires rich land, however, for maximum yield, and will not 

Page Thirty-Eight 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtUNltlES 



thrive on the average sandy upland unless fertilized. On adapted soils it will yield 
profitable commercial crops, both of oil and hay. 




Short Leaf Pine Forest, East Texas 







Long Leaf Pine Forest, East Texas. Note range for cattle 
CORN SURE CROP IN EAST TEXAS. 

Many varieties of corn thrive in East Texas, especially where the land has been 
under rotation and fertilization. The growing season for corn is ideal and it will yield 
from 2.1 to 60 bushels, according to care and soil. Several stooling varieties of corn 
have been grown in East Texas with success. At the last cultivation of the corn 
cowpeas are dropped in the furrow or are planted in alternate rows. 

Page Thirty-Nine 



^lTEXAS IVkp M b P P 6 R t U Nj tl ES" 

Velvet beans are also sometimes dropped in alternate hills with corn. The vines 
climb over the corn and produce an amazing amount of seed pods and forage, which 
is considered to be one of the greatest and cheapest sources of protein and fat. Often 
cattle and hogs, goats and sheep are kept in a field of corn and velvet beans throughout 
an entire winter without requiring other feed. There is no way in which a cattle raiser 
can make more money than by letting his stock run in a field of velvet beans and corn. 

COWPEAS A COMMERCIAL CROP. 

The humble black-eyed pea is one of the chief commercial crops of East Texas in 
counties suited to its growth. The black-eyed pea is in reality a bean, but long usage 
has stamped it as a pea. There are many varieties of stock peas, all of which have been 
standardized, and which yield almost equally well. The total production of East Texas 
which reaches market is about 500,000 bushels. The black-eyed peas enter into com- 
petition with the California crop, and reach market at less expense. The crop sold in 
1918 for $4.50 a bushel through co-operative marketing on the part of the growers. In 
ordinary years the price is $1.50 to $2.00. There are large warehouses in which the 
peas are stored. 

EAST TEXAS FRUITS. 

No other division of Texas offers the same opportunities for commercial fruit 
growing as East Texas. The production of strawberries and tomatoes in commercial 
quantities is a large industry. The peach orchards of East Texas have long been 
famous. The ingredients of the light sandy top soil and the heavy subsoil make for 
uniformly excellent fruit. The famous Mamie Ross and Elberta peaches, and many 
other varieties are shipped all over the United States from East Texas. In counties 
where fruit growing is the leading industry there are co-operative marketing associa- 
tions, which aid the farmer in obtaining a uniform and satisfactory price for his 
products. Pears are also being grown commercially. Strawberries of a most excellent 
flavor and widely known for their superior merit are grown on a large scale and 
shipped throughout the country. Blackberries, dewberries and other small fruits are 
also commercially grown. The ease with which fruits may be raised is proverbial in 
East Texas. There is comparative freedom from fruit diseases. With a little care 
a fruit crop may be counted on almost every year, depending, of course, largely upon 
the man growing the crop. 

East Texas is an ideal country for growing watermelons and cantaloupes. Exten- 
sive acreage of this crop is planted every year. Associations for standardizing and 
inspecting the crop have done much to obtain for the growers a staple price. Car-lot 
shipments are made to Northern and Eastern markets and throughout Texas and parts 
of the West. 

RIBBON CANE INDUSTRY GROWING. 

One of the newest standardized industries of East Texas is that of raising ribbon 
cane syrup for market. This syrup is made from sugar cane, not the ordinary sor- 
ghum. Ribbon cane is a variety of true sugar cane imported originally from the 
tropics. It flourishes on East Texas sandy soils and produces tremendous crops. The 
income from an acre of ribbon cane in 1918 was an average of $300, with exceptional 
yields of $500 an acre. The cane is planted in rows, pieces of stalk being dropped and 
buried in the sand, since it does not seed in the United States. A syrup mill, entailing 
a small cost for an engine, vats and press, is usually erected near the field and the 
syrup made on the spot. The time of making syrup is in late November or early De- 
cember. The product is put up in gallon buckets, and last year sold for an average 
price of $1.50 a gallon. The syrup industry is in its infancy. Practically every county 
of East Texas can raise the ribbon cane. Large syrup mills will be erected eventually 
and the production should average millions of gallons annually. 

COTTON A STANDARD CROP. 

The cotton production of East Texas is uniformly high. It is one of the estab- 
lished, oldest farm pursuits of this territory. Better varieties of cotton are being grown 

Page Forty 



>tEXXs fXt?M OPPORtUNltlES 



and greater returns per acre have resulted. Methods of crop rotation and fertilization 
through plowing under green manure in the form of cowpeas or other legumes, has 
increased the cotton yield per acre. The average in favorable seasons may be said to 
be about one-third of a bale an acre, with high yields of a bale and more to an acre on 
naturally rich or well-fertilized and well-prepared land. Marketing conditions have 
improved greatly. Farmers, who formerly were compelled to accept the local buyer's 
price, which usually was based upon grade only instead of staple length, today are 
profiting by the establishment of cotton classing offices by the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. At these offices cotton is classed according to its staple length. 
Cotton which is of uniform inch-and-one-sixteenth or inch-and-one-eighth length com- 
mands a premium over inch or shorter cotton. Farmers are being educated to know 




Type of Successful Sweet Potato Storage Plant in East Texas. 

the value of their cotton and are increasing their incomes accordingly. Several sta- 
tions for classing cotton have been opened throughout East Texas, and more will be 
opened this year. Cotton production will be revolutionized as a result of this great 
work. The farmer who rotates his crops and who makes use of legumes to enrich his 
soil while growing crops, and who plants cotton on his richest soil, will always make 
money raising cotton, because his cotton will be longer in staple than that of the man 
who raises cotton on poor soil and without adequate preparation and fertilization. 

EAST TEXAS LAND VALUES. 

It has been mentioned that land in East Texas can be purchased at a price less 
than that asked for agricultural land in the more highly developed parts of the State. 
The variation in price of raw, or unimproved land in East Texas runs from $5.00 to 
$15.00 per acre, and improved land from $20.00 to $50.00 an acre. Of course there are 
a few farms adjacent to towns, highly improved and desirably located, that would 
bring more money than this, but such farms usually have a sentimental or speculative 
value. The mineral deposits on some of the East Texas lands enhance their value, and 
must be considered separate and apart from their agricultural values. There are large 
deposits of iron ore, and bordering the East Texas belt, as a rule on the western rim 
of it, there are valuable lignite deposits. Green sand marl occurs in large quantities, 
which is of local value, but of little commercial importance. There are many deposits 
of clays, of various grades, some of them suitable for fire clays, others for pottery, and 
a few for the manufacture of the finer grades of Chinaware. 

Page Forty-One 



? TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



, ^9/m ff lf g f ^ ■^ijww**^ 



• S-j:w'-'«a^'t'^glfl*fcMI^^**>- 




NORTHWEST TEXAS 




1 ORTHWEST TEXAS lies west of the 100th meridian and embraces 
that territory known as the Panhandle and adjoining regions to the 
south and southeast. The climate is bracing and wholesome. The 
winters are colder than other portions of the State, but the summers 
are generally mild and pleasant. The elevation, which ranges from 
3,000 to 5,000 feet, necessitates a crop system peculiar to semi-arid 
regions. The rainfall ranges from 18 to 25 inches, and is fairly well 
distributed in the growing season. For years this region was the 
home of great herds of cattle which roamed the plains. Today much of this vast plain 
has been put into cultivation and is producing crops of kafir, milo, feterita, Sudan 
grass, peanuts, cotton and corn. A scientifically balanced crop rotation has been put 
into general practice, and by its use farmers are enabled to raise such crops as may 
be fed with profit to their live stock. The tendency is to finish beef cattle instead of 
letting them graze on native pasture and later ship them to territory having grain on 
which to fatten. 

Seeveral prosperous cities have sprung up in this part of the State and there are 




Orchard in West Texas 

numerous small and attractive towns. The railroad facilities are adequate to the 
needs of the territory. Good roads are easily constructed of the native materials which 
abound. 

The principal industry of the Panhandle is the raising of beef cattle. Millions 
of steers are annually sent to slaughter from this region. There are still millions of 
acres of range on which the steers roam a large part of the year. The large ranchers 
as well as the small farmers who handle live stock, make it a practice to grow their 
own feed. The principal crops are the grain sorghums, referred to above. Milo easily 
leads in popularity and extent of acreage. Milo and feterita yield fair crops in times 

Page Forty-Two 



of deficient rainfall. Kafir requires more rainfall to mature. These hardy grains are 
grown in rows exactly as corn is raised. They require the same cultivation and are 
harvested about the same time. They will mature their crops in about four months 
or less, depending upon the varieties planted. 

STORE UP MOISTURE IN SOIL. 

Farming in Northwest Texas is followed by thousands of successful men, who 
have gone into that country impelled by the love of climate and the spell of the 
immense plains. Land is comparatively reasonable in price. Scientific methods of 
raising farm crops have overcome many of the disadvantages of a semi-arid region. 
Fall and winter plowing of heavier lands and listing of the lighter soils will store 
up moisture which may fall during the winter in the form of rain and snow. The 
plan is to plow the land across the direction of the prevailing winds. This catches 
all the snow, which in many cases will prove of inestimable value in putting moisture 
in the furrows when it melts. Heavier soils are usually plowed more deeply than the 
lighter soils, which will blow if plowed too deep. 

One of the most successful methods of farming in semi-arid territory is to plow 
under a crop of legumes or some other binding material which will hold the soil 
together, prevent blowing and store humus and fertility. If this is done every year 
the land becomes more easily manageable and more productive. Cultivation of crops 







Feterita and Kafir, West Texas 



should be shallow and frequent to keep a dust mulch on the ground and prevent evap- 
oration of moisture. Even in times of scant rainfall a dust mulch will often make a 
dependable crop of the grain sorghums. The fundamental idea of farming in the Pan- 
handle is to raise forage crops to insure feed for cattle and work stock. For this 
purpose grain sorghums, adapted by long usage and selection, should be planted. 

CHEAP FEED ON EVERY FARM. 

The farmer who raises sufficient feed for his live stock and food for his family 
will make a success no matter where he may live. The farmer who raises a crop only 
to sell it and with the money obtained buys feed for his live stock and food for his 
table is not making money, no matter how rich his soil might be or how desirable 
may be the climate where he lives. That cheap feed may be raised with compara- 
tive security in the Panhandle and Northwest Texas in general is an assured fact in 
average years. Fortunes have been made feeding crops of milo and kafir to hogs and 
cattle. The yield ordinarily is about one ton of milo heads an acre. In seasons of 
exceptional rainfall the yield may be two tons an acre. The heads are usually har- 

Page Forty-Three 



TEXAS FXRAV opportunities 




Uniform Stand of Kafir, West Texas 



vested with a wagon to which a head-cutter is attached or with a special harvesting 
machine. Only the heads of the grain are usually hauled to the barn. The cattle 
and hogs are turned into the fields after the grain crops have been removed. Some- 
times the whole plants of kafir or milo are harvested together and piled in long ricks 
for winter use. The stover makes excellent roughage. 

Besides the grain sorghums for concentrated live stock feeds, there are several 
excellent forage plants which are growing in favor throughout the Panhandle and 
West Texas. Red-top sorghum is one of the most reliable forage crops that can be 
grown with 20 inches of rainfall. It will yield three to six tons of forage an acre and 
is of high feeding value to cattle and work stock. Experiments with related crops 
are being conducted at the several State Experiment Stations under the direction of 
the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. 

SUDAN GRASS RELIABLE CROP. 

One of the greatest forage crops ever introduced into the Panhandle and North- 
west Texas is Sudan grass. This plant, which was introduced from the Sudan Desert 
of North Africa by Texas Experiment Station, has adapted itself to Western semi- 
arid conditions and will make dependable yields with little rain. It is planted chiefly 
as a hay, its stems being small and readily eaten by stock. Sudan grass belongs to 
the non-saccharine sorghum family and has a certain sugar content which is acceptable 
to cattle and horses. The farmer on the semi-arid plains should raise at least ten 
acres of Sudan grass as a hay crop. The stand can be mowed a second time, and some- 
times makes three tons of hay an acre. It will grow till frost even in dry weather. 
As a roughage it cannot be excelled for Western feeding under average conditions. 
Sudan grass may be sown broad cast, but the highest yields are obtained from row 
planting and cultivation. The seed may be obtained at reasonable price. 

GARDEN FOR PANHANDLE FARMER. 

The home garden is one of the important factors in the success of the farmer of 
the semi-arid regions. It is made possible by a windmill on the farm, from which 
water is pumped to the garden at such times as crops may need water. Water is 
struck as a rule at a depth of 50 to 100 feet in sufficient quantity for home and garden 
use. Gasoline pumping plants are often installed to lift water from deeper wells. In 

Page Forty-Four 



SLEXAS_|^s^M_bj»p6^Rt^m 




Red-Top Sorghum, Irrigated District, West Texas 



this case the water can be piped 
through the house and to the barns 
and drinking troughs for the benefit 
of the family and live stock. 

Many plains farmers have gar- 
dens which are green throughout 
the summer and produce an abun- 
dance of vegetables. Under irriga- 
tion it is possible to plant a repeti- 
tion of crops a season and have fresh 
truck on the table for practically 
eight months a year. The garden 
idea may be enlarged and the irri- 
gation may be extended to field 
crops in cases where water in suffi- 
cient quantities is obtained cheaply. 
Where a creek or stream may be 
dammed and the waters impounded, 
irrigation on a larger scale is en- 
tirely practicable; also in cases 
where shallow wells permit lifting 
the water not to exceed forty or fifty 
feet. An orchard may also be irri- 
gated from a small pumping plant 
and well, thus adding to the variety 
of diet on the family table and to 
the comforts of a farm. Trees 
should be planted and watered regu- 
larly. They will furnish shade and 
make the surroundings more at- 
tractive. 

THE SOUTH PLAINS 
COUNTRY. 

The South Plains, which lie 
immediately south of the Panhandle 
proper, is a rapidly developing 




West Texas Crop of Mile 



Page Foity-Five 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



region with a progressive population and flotirishing towns and cities. The average 
elevation is between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, resulting in a delightful summer and winter 
climate. This region used to be a cattle range and is undergoing a transformation 
into an agricultural country of importance. The same crops which flourish in the 
Panhandle will thrive on the South Plains. The growing season is some two weeks 
longer. 

Irrigation has been developed to a considerable extent on the South Plains, both 




Branding Cattle on Plains, West Texas. 




Feeding Baby Herefords, West Texas 



from impounded waters and from 
shallow wells. Thousands of acres 
receive water as they need it, sup- 
plementing the rainfall when it is 
inadequate. Feed crops, such as 
the kafirs and cane, are mostly 
grown. 

One of the important agricul- 
rutal features in both Panhandle 
and South Plains country are the 
pit silos, in which feed crops are 
stored for winter feeding of cattle 
and work stock. These silos differ 
from the regular over-ground silo, 
consisting of holes dug in the 
ground to a depth of ten to thirty 
feet and from ten to twenty feet in 
diameter. A pit silo is the most 
economical of all methods of feed 
storage. It can be dug in spare 
time at a cost of not to exceed $10 
to $25 for a silo of 60 to 80 tons. 
A concrete collar around the top 
prevents the silo from caving. The 
walls are plastered with a thin 
layer of concrete. In regions where 
there is no underground seepage of 
water the pit silo is an excellent 
institution. It cuts the feed bill 



down and saves the entire crop, instead of merely the grain and some of the fodder. 
It increases the milk flow one-half. It cuts the cost of beef production from 3 to 4 
cents a pound, say practical feeders who have tried silos. The pit silo is the one 
institution which has added safety to dry- land farming. There has always been too 
much waste of feed. The silo prevents this by utilizing the entire crop. A farmer 
who has 100 head of cattle to feed through a winter should have a silo of 200 to 250 
tons, depending upon the length of winter, or several silos of 60 tons. 

Page Forty-Six 



TEXAS FARM OPPbRtUNltllES 




SOUTHWEST TEXAS 



OUTHWEST TEXAS and the extreme Western part of the State, or 
the Trans-Pecos region, are given over entirely to cattle raising, but 
the sheep and Angora goat industries, in certain districts, are even 
more important than the cattle industry. A considerable number of 
horses and mules are raised, mainly on the range without feed, but in 
a few cases these are better taken care of, more attention being 
bestowed on their breeding, as well as their subsequent care and 
development. The increased price of wool and mohair, to say nothing 

of the high cost of mutton, has made the sheep and goat industries profitable. 

The lower stretches of the country consist of broad, high hills, alternating with 

wide stretches of table lands, covered with a scrubby growth of mesquite trees and a 





Angora Goats Drinking at Troughs 

wide variety of thorny underbrush. \\'hen the rains are abundant, or well distril^uted, 
the grazing is excellent and the financial returns from the stock ranches highly satis- 
factory. During years of scant rainfall, with a diminished grass supply, live stock may 
be forced to browse for a living upon coarse grass, or underbrush that carries little 
nutriment. If the winter happens to be severe there is great loss on the range. If 
there have been good rains elsewhere in the State, or in the adjoining States of New 
Mexico and Oklahoma, cattle are frequently shipped in trainloads to pastures; some 
of them later to be sent on to market, and others to be returned to the ranches. 

In the Trans-Pecos region, comprising about 26,000 square miles, the character of the 
country is still more elevated and decidedly more broken than we find it along the lower 

Page Forty-Seven 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtUNltlES 



Short- 
horn 
Cattle 




White Wyandottes, Southwest Texas. 



Rio Grande. It is in this 
Trans-Pecos country that 
nearly all of the mountain 
ranges of the State occur. 
The elevation varies from 
3,000 to 9,600 feet. The rain- 
fall averages not more than 
15 inches a year, and this is 
distributed very irreg-ularly. 
The precipitous, rugged 
mountains, however, are con- 
nected by wide, smooth, in- 
termountain plains, formed b}^ the erosion and wash from the adjacent mountains. 
Here we find bountiful grass with even a small amount of rain. The dryness of the 
climate, together with the elevation of the country, renders an exceedingly exhilarat- 
ing atmosphere. While the winters in the Trans-Pecos region are sometimes severe, 
they are comparatively mild along the lower reaches of the Rio Grande in Southwest 
Texas, the great percentage of warm sunshiny days, characteristic of this entire part 
of the State, contradicting and counteracting the reading of a low thermometer. 

Because of the limited rainfall and the consequent number of acres necessary to 
support an animal on the range, the ranches are large. Indeed they could not main- 
tain themselves unless they were large. They vary from 8,000 or 10,000 acres up to 
200,000 or 300,000 acres. Very frequently the Texas ranchmen will own other ranches 
in New Mexico and Oklahoma, and ship live stock from one to the other as the condi- 
tions may demand or justify. 

IRRIGATED LANDS. 

Agriculture proper is not attempted anywhere in this territory, except under a 
system of irrigation. Subsurface water, as a rule, is not only too deep, but not of 
such quality to justify irrigation from wells. There are, however, some exceptions 
to this generalization. The Toyah Valley, at the foot of the Davis Mountains, is an 
important belt of irrigated land. At various places along the Pecos River, there are 
splendid farms under irrigation. In the Fort Stockton country considerable develop- 
ment has taken place by irrigation. In the Del Rio country irrigation is practiced to 
a considerable extent, but it is below El Paso, in the Rio Grande Valley, that we find 
a greater agricultural development as a result of irrigation, than anywhere else in the 
Trans-Pecos country. Wherever water can be applied alfalfa grows luxuriantly, and 
is the principal crop. 

Page Forty-Eight 



>tEXAS fXrM OPPORtUNltlES 









Sheep on Southwest Plains, Texas 

FRUIT PRODUCTION. 

The valleys, intervenino- between the high mountains, when water can be supplied, 
produce apples of the very best quality. In like manner the territory is characteristic 
for the quality of peaches, pears, apricots and California grapes, which are produced 
under irrigation. It is possible to materially increase the land in cultivation by this 
system of farming. In other words, the practical supply of water over the territory 
has not all been appropriated. . 

MINERALS. 

The geological complexity of the Trans-Pecos region, with its highly folded strata, 
faulted and eroded, marked in some cases by volcanic action, has been favorable to the 
formation of metallic minerals. Silver, copper, lead, zinc and quicksilver occur in these 
mountain ranges^ but only the silver and quicksilver have been mined in appreciable 
quantities. Scarcity of fuel and water, together with the scarcity of skilled labor, as 
well as the cost of transportation, have all contributed to the neglect of the develop- 
ment of the mineral resources of the countrv. 



LIMESTONE SOILS ABOUND. 

Hard limestone abounds in Northwest Texas. It is famous as road surfacing ma- 
terial and is shipped to all parts of the State and to other States. The limestone 
quarries employ thousands of men. There are large deposits of lime, which have been 
of inestimable value to growers of crops, depending upon limestone, such as alfalfa 
and other legumes. Lime is a neutralizer of acidity and will improve soils when ap- 
plied scientifically. Building stone of good quality is found in many counties and is 
in demand. 

Lime kilns burn the lime and employ many hands. Limestone is used for railroad 
ballast also. The by-product is shipped for use as soil neutralizer and can be had at 
comparatively reasonable rates. Farmers should avail themselves of an opportunity to 
use limestone on their land when needed and make them more productive. A soil an- 
alysis will tell whether lands are sour, as is the case in many counties where lime does 
not exist. 

Page Forty-Nine 



? TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNltlES 





THE GULF COAST COUNTRY 



HIS country is known geologically as the Coastal Plain of Texas. It 
may be said to extend inland from the Gulf for a distance of fifty to 
one hundred miles, following the contour of the Gulf, and gradually 
increasing in altitude and ruggedness toward the interior. Geograph- 
ically and geologically it is a unit formation, having been slowly, but 
gradually reclaimed from the sea. It extends from the southwestern 
border of Louisina to the Rio Grande plain, on the border of Mexico. 
For the most part 



it is prairie land, intersected by all of 
the important rivers of Texas as they 
empty into the Gulf. Beginning on 
the east and going west, the Sabine, 
Neches, Trinity, San Jacinto, Brazos, 
San Bernard, Colorado, Lavaca, Navi- 
dad, Garcitas, Guadalupe, San An- 
tonio, Mission, Aransas, Nueces, and, 
finally, on the western border, the Rio 
Grande, traverse this Coastal Plain. 
The valleys of these rivers, with those 
of numerous smaller streams, are ex- 
ceedingly fertile, but, as a rule, sub- 
ject to periodical overflows or inunda- 
tions. However, splendid farms are 
located in these valleys above the line 
of overflow, or are protected by levees. 
Irrigation is common in the valleys of 
the Guadalupe, San Antonio, Nueces, 
and notably in that of the Rio Grande. 
The Gulf Coast country, while consti- 
tuted mainly of prairie land, is well 
supplied with wood and timber ordi- 
narily used for farm purposes. Arte- 
sian water may be had throughout the 
territory at depths ranging from 200 
to 800 feet. Good drinking water can 
usually be obtained in shallow wells, 
20 to 30 feet deep, although as we go 
west the depth at which this water 
may be obtained materially increases. 

CLIMATE. 

Is pleasant in winter ; so much so 
that the climate is sub-tropical in the 
extreme southern portion. The mini- 
mum temperature in any part of the 
territory rarely goes below 20 degr'=;es. 

Page Fifty 







^*r9!^ 





Corn Yielding 90 Bushels an Acre, Irrigated 
Land, Rio Grande Valley 



TEXAS FArM opportunities 



These cool periods are of very short duration, lasting usually from twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours. It might be supposed that in a latitude as far south as the Gulf 
Coast region of Texas the summers would be very disagreeable on account of the 
heat. As a matter of fact, this is not entirely true. The summer climate is to some 
extent trying, not because of the degree of heat, but because of its continuation. The 
continuous Gulf breeze not only mitigates the heat, but insures cool nights, with 




Sudan Grass, Gulf Coast Country 



refreshing sleep and rest, throughout the summer. The rainfall varies from fifty-five 
inches on the east westward to the Rio Grande plains, where it is about twenty-five 
inches. The distribution of this rainfall in the western drier region of the territory 
is subject to wide variation. If the precipitation were properly distributed, the average 
annual amount would be sufficient for the ordinary farm crops adapted to the climate. 




Corn in Rio Grande Valley 



Page Fifty-One 



THE SOILS. 

Soils for the most part consist of clays or clay loams. As a rule they are fertile, 
when properly drained, but, except for the rice crop, it usually requires one season to 
bring these soils into proper mechanical condition and tilth. The country is so nearly 
level that unless one is located adjacent to some stream, the valley of which will 
provide for drainage, it is necessary for farmers to co-operate in the matter of draining 
their farm lands. This has been done by the organization of what are known as Inde- 
pendent Drainage Districts. These districts are provided for by the Texas statutes, 
and the Attorney General of the State authorizes the issue of bonds. When these bonds 
are sold on long time, thirty to forty years, a small annual tax is imposed against the 
land involved, for the protection of the bonds. 







Field Broom Corn, Lower Rio Grande Valley 



CROPS. 

The great rice belt of the State is confined to the southeastern part of the Gulf 
Coast country. The rice belt extends from the Louisiana line west for one hundred 
and twenty-five miles ; the acreage of the crop gradually diminishes from east to west. 
Rice is the principal money crop in the territory, to which it is especially adapted. 
Texas, with two adjoining States, produces 90 per cent of the rice produced in this 
country. Considerable cotton, corn and hay are also produced. The rice crop is dis- 
placed by the cotton crop, according to the changing amount of rainfall, as the Mid- 
Coast country of the Coastal Plains is reached. In this territory the live stock industry, 
especially cattle raising, increases rather rapidly. The number of farms multiply and 
decrease in size ; while rural conditions are also better, because the country is more 
thickly settled. The poultry industry is prosperous and greatly on the increase. The 
Mid-Coast country of the Coastal Plains, extending as far south as the Nueces River 

Page Fifty-Two 



TEXAS F/VRM OPPORTUNITIES 




Peanuts Grown in Gulf Coast Country 

Valley and its immediate territory, is admirably adapted to the production of cotton, 
corn, the grain sorghums and hay grasses, both those indigenous to the prairie and 
those introduced. The land in this territory needs less drainage. The soil is deeper 
and richer, consisting for the most part of clay or clay loams, black in character, 
sticky and tenacious when wet. The Lower Coast country of the Coastal Plains is to 
some extent a continuation of the same type of soil, and the same climatic conditions 
that we find in the Mid-Coast country; but further west and south, toward the Mex- 
ican border, farming gives way almost entirely to cattle ranching, until we reach the 
irrigated district of the Rio Grande Valley. 

RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 

In this yalley a large amount of land has been reclaimed by irrigation. The soil is 
a rich alluvial deposit. The water is obtained from the Rio Grande by successive 
pumping plants extending from the coast up the river for a distance of seventy-five 
miles. The canals of these plants have been constructed in many instances without 
reference to cost ; providing permanent and efficient systems for supplying water to 
the land. The pumping capacity of the best plants comprise the latest and most 
improved machinery, with a capacity of as much as 300,000 gallons a minute. The 
total land under irrigation in the valley approximates 150,000 acres. Because of cli- 
matic conditions and the fertility of the soil, winter truck farming, in addition to the 
staple crops of summer and live stock raising, has been developed to a high degree. 

SUPERIOR CITRUS FRUITS. 

The citrus fruit belt of the State is in this valley. Grape fruit, oranges, lemons and 
grapes are capable of being grown as successfully as in California or Florida. The 

Page Fifty-Three 



n-EXAS FXrM 6PJ?6RtLLNJTIlS 




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Page Fifty-Four 



TEXAS FhnrA OPPbRtUNjtlES 



flavor of the Rio Grande grape fruit is superior. The markets of the country are always 
eager to get Rio Grande Valley products. Vegetables and citrus fruits reach North- 
ern markets at times when these are not available from other districts, and bring top 
prices. 

LAND VALUE. 

There is a wide variation in the price of land comprising the Gulf Coast region. In 
the Rio Grande Valley the irrigated land is sold for $100 to $300 an acre. In the eastern 




Sorting Cantaloupes for Shipment 




Grape Fruit, Lower Rio Grande, Gulf Coast Country, Texas 



Page Fifty-Five 



TEXAS FARM O PPb RtUN if I ES 



part of the valley the price varies from $15 to $50 an acre, depending- upon improve- 
ments and location. In the Mid-Coast couuntry the value ranges from $25 to $100 an 
acre. This land, however, is not adapted to farm purposes, but is devoted to stock 
raising. 

Enough has been said to indicate that the staple money crops of this territory con- 
sist of rice, cotton, corn, hay and broom corn. Rice and cotton are the principal crops. 









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Grange Grove, Lower Gulf Coast Country, Texas. 

In some localities sugar cane is cultivated for the manufacture of sugar, but, except 
in the Rio Grande Valley, the cane crop is not regarded as entirely safe. 

Throughout the territory truck crops are raised to a considerable extent, not only 
for the local market, but in many instances for shipment to other markets. 

SMALL FRUITS. 

The small fruits, strawberries, black- 
berries and dewberries, especially in the 
rain belt portionof the Gulf Coast ter- 
ritory, succeed remarkably well. In 
some localities, the culture and ship- 
ment of the strawberry crop forms an 
important industry. Figs are highly 
successful, and the Le Conte pear, used 
only for cooking and preserving, suc- 
ceeds well in the rain belt of the terri- 
tory. 

Watermelons and cantaloupes are 
grown on a large scale in the Rio 
Grande Valley and Gulf Coast country. 
Often the income from an acre is $300. 
Trainloads of melons are shipped to all 
parts of the United States. Organiza- 
tions to grow melons have been per- 
fected and co-operative methods enable 
the producer to obtain fancy prices. 
The quality of these melons is gener- 
ally considered to be unsurpassed. 

Pecans are indigenous to most of 
the Gulf Coast region, and in some 
localities improved varieties are being 




A Bunch of Oranges as they appear on the 
Tree, Gulf Coast Country, Texas 



Page Fifty-Six 



/ 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



cultivated. The region is too far south for apples, and only certain varieties of 
peaches are successful. These include the South Chinese and Honey, or Spanish 
varieties, which may be grown for home use, but which are not well adapted to 
shipment. 













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Threshing Rice, Gulf Coast Country 



INDUSTRIES. 

The lumber interests, while confined more particularly to East Texas, and will 
be later discussed, have contributed very largely to the upbuilding and support of the 
Gulf Coast res^ion. 




Turning on Water. Irrigation in Lewder Rio Grande Valley 

The cattle interest, while being displaced to some extent by farms, is still a very 
important source of wealth to the Gulf Coast country. It comprises several of the 
largest and most successful ranches in the State. 

Page Fifty-Seven 



TEXAS FARM OPPORtAJNltlES 



The dairy industry, while not fully developed, is receiving more and more atten- 
tion, because the country seems admirably adapted to it ; especially the Mid-Coast 
and Lower Coast divisions of the Gulf Coast territory. With the mild winters and 
sufficient rainfall, as a rule, to produce good pastures, with the by-products of the 




Hereford Pure-Breds, Gulf Coast Country. 

rice mills and the cotton seed mills as a basis for concentrates, the region is particu- 
larly inviting to the dairy industry ; and its gradual, but permanent, development is 
anticipated. The largest herd of registered Jerseys in the United States, supporting 




Aberdeen-Angus Bull, Gulf Coast Plains 

the largest dairy in the State, is within this territory. In addition to this, the best 
selected herd as to individuals, and the second largest herd of Jerseys in the State, is 
to be found in this territory. Within the territory are located three or four ranches 

Page Fifty-Eight 



TEXAS FARM OPPORTUNITIES 



that make a specialty of raising- Brahmin cattle. The foundation stock of these cattle 
was imported from India, and the ranches now supply breeding stock to the other 
Gulf and South Atlantic States, and in addition make heavy shipments to Cuba. 

Hardwood timbers, especially the live oak, of the Brazos and San Bernard Val- 
leys, have been in great demand for ship-building purposes since America's entrance 
into the European war. It is reliably stated that for certain parts of the ship the live 
oak timber is not equaled by any other. Several sawmills, devoting themselves exclu- 
sively to the production of ship timbers are located in this region. 

The rice mills and the oil mills, some of which have connecting fertilizer factories, 
devoted not only to crushing cotton seed, but also to crushing peanuts, are important 
industries. Several ship-building plants are also supported within the territory. 

MILITARY CAMPS. 

Eighteen military camps were established in Texas at the beginning of the war. 
This is the largest number in any State. No strong-er endorsement could be given of 
the excellent climatic conditions of Texas than that of the War Department in selecting 
Texas as training quarters for more than half a million men. The health of the sol- 
diers throughout the State was satisfactory. Besides these camps there are eight .)er- 




Silos at A. & M. College. 



manent forts in the State. In several instances leases were renewed on aviation camps 
in Texas on account of the excellent records made by the men trained here. Several 
of these aviation camps have been designated as permanent camps to be used in fur- 
thering aviation training. The parents and relatives of the soldiers from the North 
who visited these camps during the winter expressed themselves as highly pleased 
with the delightful and healthful climate, and many families have later moved to Texas 
to make their permanent home here. 

Page Fifty-Nine 



TEXAS FAT5AV O PPORTU N itlES 



RICE. 



Texas is one of the leading States in the rice industry. The Rio Grande Valley 
and the Gulf Coast country are well adapted to the raising of this cereal. The area 
covered is equal to the State of Indiana, the quality is superior and commands high 
prices. The section of Texas devoted to this industry is so well supplied with water 




Harvesting Rice. 

from rivers, streams and artesian wells that a bountiful yield is almost assured. Those 
unfamiliar with the characteristics of the plant would undoubtedly be surprised to see 
it growing. The fields must be level, must be flooded with water — after the plants are 
about eight inches high — and remain on the land for a period of from seventy to ninety 
days, in order to successfully produce a good yield. The fields are then drained 
and become dry in about two weeks, when the rice is harvested. It is thrashed in about 
the same manner as wheat and usually sold by the barrel. 

Agriculturists from the United States Department of Agriculture have said that 
Texas has the best soil on earth for the raisins: of rice. 



•'•m 





il.ir1r'^;'^l'^^ 



Page Sixty 



Heading Grain in Texas. 



TEXAS fXT)M OPPORtUNltlES 



PECANS. 

In late years the pecan industry has made rapid strides ; "industry" is used because 
raising pecans really has become a great source of income to many people. Texas 
abounds in native pecan trees, which grow in many different parts of the State. They 
arc peculiarly adapted to a well-drained soil and a soil having a deep, porous sub- 
soil, which enables the roots to reach water. Therefore pecan groves are found along 
streams and in valleys which have rich soil and are at all times well supplied with 
moisture. 

The native pecan varies in size and in most cases has a very rich meat. To the 
inhabitants of Texas the pecan is as much a staple nut as the hickory nut to the 
Northern man. In recent years much has been done to improve the native trees, 
the result being a much richer and larger nut. This improved pecan has created quite 
a demand for the nut in northern markets and many carloads have been shipped from 




Hereford Yearlings Corralled for Branding 

the State to northern trade. In 1918 as high as $1.00 a pound was paid in small 
quantities for the thin-shelled variety and the native pecan sold for an average price 
of 50 cents a pound. 

MAGNOLIA FIGS IN TEXAS. 

The origin of the Magnolia Fig is not positively known, but it is said that a gen- 
tleman who ordered Magnolia trees received a fig tree by mistake and gave it the 
name of Magnolia. Whatever the source, the fig has become a very valuable fruit in 
Texas and has proven a revenue producer, as well as a delicious fruit. 

The fig is peculiarly adapted to the Gulf Coast country, but is well distributed 
through the black land belt and much of the sandy section of East Texas. Fig cul- 
ture, as well as all branches of agriculture, requires a great deal of intelligence. 
Trees are propagated from cuttings and grow very rapidly. Cuttings may be set in 

Page Sixty-One 



^tEXAS FXf?M OPPbRtUNltlES 

the winter time and transplanted the following spring, and fruit gathered the follow- 
ing fall. However, this is not the best practice, as the young trees are apt to be in- 
jured. The fig does not blossom like other fruit trees, but the fruit appears above 
the base of the leaf in the shape o a tiny bud and gradually grows into the full, ripe 
fruit. Figs start ripening on the lower leaves early in June and continue growing and 
ripening fruit until late in the fall. The long growing season of Texas makes fig 
growing profitable. Fig orchards, however, require just the right kind of cultivation 
and pruning. Cultivation must be done early in the spring and continue throughout 
the summer. Orchards after once being well plowed, occasional thorough disking and 
harrowing is all that is necessary the rest of the year. 

CITRUS FRUITS. 

From a quality standpoint, Texas has been made famous by the oranges, lemons 
and grapefruit grown in the Gulf Coast country. 

The Valencia and Satsuma orange have been successfully propagated in the lower 
Rio Grande Valley and immense profits have been realized the past year from these 
varieties. This section of the State, being the lowest point in the United States, is rarely 
ever visited by a frost, making the citrus fruit industry almost assured. 

Grapefruit of superior quality are grown and have received much favorable com- 
ment in different parts of the country on account of their fine lavor. 

Lemons of unusual size are grown here, but few reach markets outside of the 
State. 




Brahma Bull, Imported from India, Gulf Coast Country, Texas 



Page Sixty-Two 



TEXAS FAT5M 6 PPORTU NltlES 




Pure-Bred Jersey Cow, Gulf Coast Country, Texas 
AGRICULTURAL AND LIVE STOCK FORCES. 

Texas A. & M. Colleg-e, College Station, Texas, is an important factor in agri- 
cultural education. Its Experiment Station and Extension Department, with a county 
agent in every agricultural county, contribute largely to the agricultural progress of 
the State. 

The State Department of Agriculture, with its law-enforcement body and inspec- 
tion system, is of great help in the control of contagious diseases and standardized 
marketing methods. 

Other important factors are : 

Cattle Raisers' Association of Texas. 

Texas Dairymen's Association. 

Texas Aberdeen Angus Breeders' Association. 

Texas Hereford Association. 

Texas Jersey Cattle Club. 

Texas Holstein-Friesian Association. 

Texas Shorthorn Breeders' Association. 

Texas Sheep and Goat Breeders' Association. 

Texas Swine Breeders' Association. 

Texas Poultry Raisers' Association. 

Texas State Horticultural Society and many others. 



RAILROAD AGRICULTURAL AGENTS. 

The railroad agricultural agents are active in promoting settlement and dev<;lop- 
ment of agricultural land throughout Texas. Their services are at the disposal of the 
public at all times. These agricultural agents are men trained for the work both prac- 

Pave Sixtv-Three 



XE XAJ FA.T^ M 6 PPb RtU N itl ES 



tically and scientifically. They study agricultural and horticultural conditions at all 
times and are m position to disseminate impartial information. All farmers are criven 
the benefit of counsel from the standpoint of their ultimate success and satisfaction 
and permanence of settlement. They at all times have co-operated with all other ac- 
credited institutions and forces devoted to better agriculture and live stock produc- 
tion. They are familiar with crop and general conditions along the lines of the rail- 
road they represent and are in position to assist materially in marketing all products 
to the satisfaction of the producer. In Texas, railroad agents have co-operated closely 
and helpfully with other forces engaged in the importation of pure-bred hogs, beef 
cattle and dairy stock. 

Homeseekers will find railroad agents eager to assist them in finding suitable lo- 
cations and in establishing them upon a safe farming basis. Homeseekers should avail 
themselves of this opportunity by getting into close touch with railroad agricultural 
agents. 

V?4 



\ 



Where The Oleanders Grow. 



By THOMAS BAIRD. 
(Consent of Publisher). 



With the thermometers at zero 

And the blizzard far from broke, 
And the coal bill mounting skyward 

Every shovelfull you stoke, 
How I pine for balmy breezes 

Such as fan that southern land. 
By the Gulf-washed Texas prairies 

Or along the Rio Grande. 

In Texas thro mid-winter weather 

Ozone stimulates like wine. 
And no breaths from polar regions 

Freeze the marrow in your spine ; 
And you see the roses blooming 

In your garden patch so neat, 
In a land where summer lingers 

Mid the cactus and mesquite. 

Here among the oleanders, 

If you've got a modest farm, 
You may plow and plant and harvest 

And no trouble to keep warm. 
Leave the city and its scramble 

For the dollar and the dime — 
Here you are in league with nature 

And she's working all the time. 



Page Sixty-Four 



I 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



003 220 643 8 




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